


Finders Keepers–Solangelo AU

by Inconvenient_or_less



Category: The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Mortal, Fluff, How Do I Tag, I SWEAR I HAVE A PLOT, M/M, Mutual Pining, There I Fixed It, a little bit?, dissolved, hades just straight up ditched, i dont know how college works, in which Will is insecure bc im self projecting dont judge me, it was supposed to be a slow burn but im impatient, its just very vague, kind of?, like my braincells all lined up to spell the word PLOT, puppies rainbows and coffee, sorryyy, teen and up bc of language, wow these tags just
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-10
Updated: 2020-09-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:27:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26384128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inconvenient_or_less/pseuds/Inconvenient_or_less
Summary: Umm. I dont know how to do thisBasically Nico's friends suggest getting a dog when his father leaves and he's stuck in a giant house by himself and Will is the foster owner. Nico visits to take the dog on walks before deciding whether or not he wants to keep her while simultaneously crushing on Will. Talk about multitasking ⁱᵐ ⁿᵒᵗ ᶠᵘⁿⁿʸ ᵇᵘᵗ ⁱᵐ ⁿᵒᵗ ˢᵒʳʳʸ Anyways, yeah, stuff happens, lots of fluff, you know the rest.This is my first fic so please be nice, although constructive criticism is always welcome bc im a dumbass (☞ﾟヮﾟ)☞
Relationships: Nico di Angelo/Will Solace
Comments: 39
Kudos: 42





	1. what the fuck is a title god help me

CHAPTER ONE  
NICO  
I woke to my phone buzzing violently in my hand. I sat up in startlement and quickly pressed a dry thumb to the button.  
“Hey Hazel,” I greeted my sister, voice rough with exhaustion.  
“Hey Nico! Just seeing if you were up. And, uhh, you have an appointment today, remember?”  
I nearly fell out of bed, scrambling to stand without getting stuck in the web of blankets tangled around my feet. “Shit!”  
“I take it that’s a ‘no’.”  
“I gotta go. I’ll call you back, ‘kay?”  
“You’re welcome,” Hazel said, laughing a little over the phone.  
“You’re the best, Hazel.”  
She chuckled again. “I know.”  
She hung up and I dropped my phone to frantically tug on a Pierce The Veil shirt and a black jacket freckled with pins. For once I was thankful for falling asleep in my jeans from yesterday. Maybe that's gross, but I didn't really have time to regret it, much less fix it.  
I hesitated in front of the mirror with my eyes angled down, torn between wanting to make sure I looked less shitty than usual and hating what I saw regardless. I settled for a small glance, a hand through my hair in a wearily familiar attempt to control the charcoal mess.  
I gave up and grabbed my keys. 

I felt a surge of worry as I punched in the address. What if I messed up? What if she hated me?  
No. I’d be fine. It was just a test run, if she didn’t like me, I could just find another one. I shot a text––”on my way”––then sped out of the driveway, tires screeching loudly in the early morning air.

***************************************

I scanned the doors on the first floor of the apartment complex, looking for the right number. When I did finally find it, the little pan flag on the door did not escape my notice. My heart lifted a little.  
"At least there’s that," I thought, and reached for the woven rainbow bracelet Jason had given me after coming out. I frowned, realizing I’d forgotten to put it back on after it had gotten soaked and I’d taken the thing off to dry. Oh well, it wouldn’t matter.  
I winced when I saw the tiny plain gold knocker hanging from the door, opting for my own hand instead. Those things were awful, no matter what side of the door you were on.  
I was not prepared for what I saw when the door opened.  
He wore a white hoodie splattered with pastel blue and pink tie-dye and light blue skinny jeans with the cuffs tucked into pristine white converse. Dandelion gold curls spilled over pale bellflower blue eyes. His honey beige complexion was unbelievably smooth and sepia freckles traveled over every bit of visible skin. Which, granted, wasn’t much, but still. He was sunshine incarnate.  
He held out a freckled hand. “Nico di Angelo?”  
I jolted back to the current plane of existence. “Uhh, yes. That’s me.” I shook his hand. It was––unsurprisingly––as comfortably warm as the smile he flashed.  
“I’m Will,” he said, still smiling. “She’s right here, hold on.” He stepped back into the cool, brightly lit hall, turning back to invite me in to sit at the kitchen table while I waited.  
Will came back holding the leash of a black, pit bull terrier/lab puppy and I had a hard time not melting right there and then. I was suddenly glad my friends had been so adamant about me getting a dog. Apparently it would be good for me to have another living thing roaming the massive house my dad had left me with––he wasn’t dead, just didn’t feel like sticking around––and would help me get out and exercise more often. Not to mention, dogs were fucking adorable.  
I slid off the chair to sit on my knees and the puppy clambered onto my lab, licking my face in excitement. Will laughed and I abruptly decided I didn’t need to move ever again. I would just sit there in the kitchen and make Will laugh over and over until one of us died and then maybe I would leave.  
I mentally shook myself. I mean, yeah, he seemed like a nice guy but this was over the top.  
“So, if you want, you can just walk her around the neighborhood, let her get to know you a bit,” Will said, handing me her leash. “Cora’s pretty well-behaved but maybe avoid any food trucks. Also, remember to keep a good grip if you pass another dog. She’s very social and if you do end up adopting her, dog parks are definitely a good idea.”  
“Sounds good. Anything else I should keep in mind?” I asked, desperate not to screw this up.  
Will tipped his head, his gold curls sliding sideways to let the kitchen light glint against his blue eyes. “I don’t think so, but I’ll text you if I think of anything.”  
I nodded and headed out with Cora bouncing in the lawn, already monching happily on grass. I clicked my tongue a few times and she jumped toward me, tripping over her own paws. I laughed and tugged her along.

WILL  
I knew I was fucked when I saw him laugh, his dark head tipped back at the small puppy at his heels. Of course, when I’d first met him I’d been fascinated. Also slightly worried. Nico was painfully scrawny and pale, dark circles weighing down hot chocolate eyes––not American hot chocolate, the European kind so dark and rich you could only drink it in tiny espresso cups. I desperately wanted to keep him there, if only to make him eat a nine-course meal and sleep for two days straight.  
Then he left and I slumped against the door, holding Ophelia––a dog with snickerdoodle fur and a striking resemblance to a teddy bear––against my chest like a stuffed animal, scratching her ears gently.  
“Ophie,” I said, staring blankly down the hall at nothing in particular. "What the fuck am I supposed to do about this?"

*************************************** 

When Nico returned, I had sufficiently pulled myself together and was ordering a pizza over the phone while I pulled out an appalling amount of medical textbooks from my backpack. I heard the knock and bolted up, still holding a couple of the textbooks with the phone wedged between my shoulder and ear. I finished my order quickly and dropped both the phone and the books to answer the door, wincing in both pain and embarrassment when one of the heavy volumes landed on my foot.  
“Sorry,” I cringed, flushing faintly.  
Nico's mouth quirked. “It’s fine. Busy day?” He asked, holding Cora back from chewing up the textbooks.  
“Yeah. Med school,” I explained with a grimace.  
“Oh cool. I kinda ditched the whole idea of anything after high school. Not really my scene.” Before I could decipher the last bit, Nico handed the leash back. “Thanks for letting me walk her. She was very sweet and you were very right. We passed a few other dogs and it was a challenge to keep her from dragging me into a moving car,” he chuckled.  
“Oh no.” My eyes went wide, half-amused, half-horrified. “I’m so sorry!”  
“No, it’s okay, don’t worry about it. Actually, do you mind if I come back tomorrow?”  
“Oh, absolutely! I’m sure Cora will be overjoyed.”  
“Alright, thanks. Does 4pm work for you?”  
We worked out the details and he left and I was stuck with a stack of homework, wishing I could see him laugh again.

NICO  
“I hate all of you.”  
I was sitting with Piper, Jason, Reyna, and Annabeth at our usual place, the Templeton Cafe.  
Jason scoffed with mock hurt. Here we go.  
“After everything??? All we’ve ever given you is love and acceptance and––NICO WHERE’S MY BRACELET????????”  
“Jason, chill. I took it off to dry, it got wet.”  
“Okay, but what happened?” Annabeth asked.  
I sighed and let my head drop into my hands, thinking about how to eloquently phrase “I’m gay for the actual sun and it’s all your fault”. Then the bell rang on the door and I looked up to see Hazel, Frank, Leo, and Percy walk in. Annabeth jumped up to plop a kiss on her boyfriend’s cheek while the rest of us waited not-so-patiently.  
“Good, you’re here. Nico’s apparently low on caffeine and I think he might murder us,” Reyna said dryly. I thwapped her arm but stood and turned to the counter, already composing my order. My mind went blank when I saw who was taking it.  
Will.  
I turned back around and sat back down in the booth.  
“I think I’ll pass on the coffee today.”  
The others all turned to me in horror. Leo rushed forward, laying the back of his hand on my forehead.  
“Nico, are you okay? Do we need to get you home? Are you sick?”  
“Keep your voice down,” I hissed. “And get your hand away from my face, Valdez!”  
Leo took his hand away and turned to face the others in mock-panic. “What do we do? He’s never been like this before.”  
Piper glanced back at the counter, then looked back at me, smirking. Of course she’d already figured it out. She exchanged a glance with Reyna and the girls pulled me up and over to the next empty booth. “Spill.” Piper clasped her hands.  
I turned to make sure none of our friends were listening in, then sighed and told them about how I’d met Will earlier and how I sort of died inside when he laughed and his hands were so warm and I wanted to hold them again and now I couldn’t stop thinking about him and his laugh and his hands.  
Mind you, I would never say this to anyone besides Piper and Reyna.  
When I was done, I finally looked up. Their expressions ranged from empathetic to amused. I can’t say I was pleased but it was better than whatever reaction Jason or Percy might have. I shuddered.  
“But yeah, that’s basically it. I can’t believe I never noticed him here,” I huffed, letting my head drop onto the table.  
Piper clicked her tongue and awwed. I glared up at her.  
“No. Don’t do that. Stop doing that.”  
The girls laughed and we stood to rejoin the others.  
“Do you want me to order for you?” Reyna asked.  
“Please?”


	2. Glass-Spun Skeletons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the only thing will and ovens have in common is neither of them can sing, contrary to popular belief. oh, and an obsession with cheesy preteen pop. but we dont talk about that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im _eDgY_
> 
> i dont know how cafes work
> 
> nico just wants some ramen :/

**CHAPTER TWO**

WILL  
I was pretending I hadn’t noticed Nico entering the cafe, then promptly hide in the booth when he saw me at the counter. I was pretending like it didn’t hurt me when I barely knew him, but my hands still shook as the sharpie slipped over slick plastic cups.  
But acting is not my forte.  
When Nico’s friends huddled in front of the counter to order, the dark haired girl squinted at me, as if trying to dissolve and reassemble my face.  
“Do I know you?” She asked.  
“I––no, I don’t think so,” I said, trying not to let my voice crack and plummet, dragging along my remaining confidence.  
“Huh. Weird. Okay, I’ll have two black coffees, one plain, the other with a shit ton of sugar.”  
“Late night?”  
“You could say that. Oh, and a chocolate croissant.”  
“He loves those,” the blonde boy said, nodding with approval until the dark haired girl shot him a look.  
“You got it.” I took the rest of the orders, ignoring the blonde boy’s comment and trying not to let it stick in my brain.  
Too late. I had a cruel and selective mind.

+*•+*•+*•+*•+*•+*•+*•+*•+*•+*•+*•+*•+*•+*•+*•+*•+*•+*•+*•+*•+*•+*•+*•+

Closing up the cafe with Lou Ellen was torture that night. I just wanted to go home and gorge myself on cold pizza and sitcoms, but noooo. Floors must be mopped, espresso machines must be cleaned, windows must be washed. And after that, I still had to sweep the porch and dump out the ashtrays.  
Besides, I didn't even have a Netflix subscription.  
The minute I got home, I dumped my bag in the tiny hallway and flopped face first onto the couch.  
I groaned into the pillow, lifting my head when I heard Ophelia’s tiny paws clatter across the kitchen floor. Technically I wasn’t supposed to have a dog here, since the apartment was owned by the university. But Ophie was my brother’s dog and I couldn’t leave her behind after he died. So I kept her.  
My thoughts tumbled after that, rolling down, down, into some semblance of a cesspit. Why did Nico hide from me at the cafe? Did I say something earlier? Did he hate me? Did I have something on my shirt?  
I sat up and stretched the hem of the shirt out in front of me before remembering I’d been wearing an apron. And a hoodie, which had been discarded after giving in to the heat and hum of kitchen duty before I switched with Lou.  
Oh yeah, Lou.  
I dragged my computer from my bag and sat down on the floor by the door, not bothering to move again.  
I started up a FaceTime call with her and Cecil, silently begging for at least one of them to pick up, pick up, pick up.  
The window shifted, pushing my face aside to let the others in and I breathed a sigh of relief.  
“Will! My buddy, my pal, my good, dear, _wonderful_ friend, what the _FUCK_ was up with you today???” Lou Ellen shook her camera like she was grabbing me by the shoulders and shaking me herself.  
"What? What happened?" Cecil's face scrunched in disappointment. "Why do I always miss the good stuff?”  
“That’s because _you are_ the good stuff, Cecil. You just don’t know it,” I said. “You don’t know you’re beautifuuuullll,” I sang, gripping an imaginary microphone and dancing in place. Lou Ellen screeched and jumped up, flinging accusatory fingers and curses at the screen. Cecil rolled into a ball, covering his ears with his hands as I sang louder, extracting agonized groans from the both of them.  
I stopped singing to take a breath. “Yeah, so I met this guy––”  
_“OH MY GOD WILL.”_

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

NICO  
My friends were right. I couldn’t stand being alone in such a massive space. Alone, I could deal with. Alone in _this_ place…no go. Of course, Hazel stayed over when she could, but she had an actual life to consider.  
I put on some music, trying my best to fill empty air with something meaningful––so of course I picked Twenty Øne Piløts **(A/N: my inner emo is apparently not so inner *remembers my ao3 icon is literally gerard way* oh yeah...).**  
I tried busying myself with miscellaneous tasks around the house while March To The Sea played in the background. I ended up being surprisingly productive and was feeling quite proud of myself until I realized it was really just to keep myself from thinking.  
Well. There were worse paths to go down in terms of denial, and besides, a clean house is a clean house no matter how you look at it. Then I remembered the last time our––the house had been this clean.  
It had taken several months to wipe away the fingerprints of Bianca di Angelo. My dad and I had to do it in sessions, sitting down after dinner every Friday and sifting through photos, clothes, books, old stuffed animals. Then we’d have to leave the house, leave everything, and just walk through the town, the park, the woods. Just make it go away for as long as we could before the bitter lost its bite and the sorrowful sweetness took hold and we would sit amongst the piles of dead objects saying nothing. I hate to say it, but that was the closest I ever got to dad without one of us breaking.  
Bianca had always said I felt fragile when she hugged me. Like a glass-spun skeleton. And I guess I was okay with that then, when she made glass bones sound so weirdly wondrous. Now I was just wishing she had said nothing.  
I’ve had nothing but pitying glances since Bianca died and it’s only gotten worse now that dad up and left. It’s cliche, I _know_ it’s cliche but I _hate it._  
Will didn’t look at me like that.  
Because Will’s looked at me three, maybe four times tops and he doesn’t even know me. He _could_ know me though. If I wanted him to. Did I want him to?  
I tried to work out everything that would include but the list got long and it was starting to scare me.  
I decided to stick to getting to know the stovetop first. Commitment was never an issue when you have a prepared rebound. Or in other words, a microwave.  
I chucked some ramen in and slumped onto the floor while I waited, trying to get the mental image of Will Solace as an oven out of my head, godammit.  
He was just so _pretty_. Not as an oven of course. I mean he’d be pretty no matter what, but it’s not like I have a thing for ovens. And since when did Will become unconditionally gorgeous? What the hell––  
I jumped as the microwave blared, banging my head against the cabinets.  
_“FUCK.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it is 3:39am. I wrote this chapter in one day instead of one month which i think is an improvement. it's a bit boring, not much going on but i promise things will pick up. i apologize if this chapter's a bit messy (which is ironic bc i used the word clean a ton in this chapter), as i mentioned before its quite early and my brain is now composed of cornstarch  
> also, not that i know anything on the matter besides basic integrity, but please dont go into a relationship with a microwave  
> thanks for reading! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧


	3. the lack of synonyms for "laugh" is a crime to humanity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *gay panik intensifies*
> 
> Lou Ellen is my spirit animal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> shit, this chapter is so short, sorry about that. at the rate im updating tho, you'll probably have chapter 4 by 2am  
> am i updating too fast? i feel like im updating really fast, is that ok? this story is just really fun to write and then i wanna share everything and gjhkghjgkjgjjgjghjkjhkjg
> 
> plus, its better than doing homework, so.

**CHAPTER THREE**

WILL  
This was bad. This was so, so bad. Nico would be here in––I checked my watch––14 minutes and I was _not_ prepared. How was I supposed to face someone who probably hated me??? Especially when said someone had gorgeous, black-winged solar eclipse eyes, dark-hearted and ringed with gold. And fingers parallel to glass scrying bones tapping over pasts and presents and hopeful futures in my mind, laughter interchangeable with faint summer breezes that last only a moment but leave you grasping for another and heather-soft smiles that felt like dried lavender stems pressed between clandestine book pages conspiring with dreams and dregs of wishes clinging to the tails of shooting stars. **(A/N: _yes_ i am taking all the cliches what are you gonna do about it)**  
_Ugh._  
I flopped down at the table and stared at my hands, feeling rather disconnected from the blunt anxiety pounding behind my eyes. Soon, the knock, knock, knocking transferred from in my head to the door. This was gonna hurt. _Let’s just get it over with then, I guess._  
I stood and dragged myself to the door.  
The minute I opened it, Cora and Ophelia barreled from my bedroom to jump and yip at Nico’s feet. A small laugh bubbled up at the expression on his face, all previous fears temporarily banished at the sight of him.  
“They like you,” I said, scooping Cora up and kissing her fuzzy head before holding her out to Nico with a silent offer.  
“They do?” He seemed genuinely surprised, but held his arms out to take her.  
“Of course they do!” I let go and watched Nico bring Cora’s face up to his, then settle her in his arms, stroking her lamb-like ears and sitting down. “Who wouldn’t?” I mumbled.  
“Hm?” My heart stopped.  
“Nothing. Just––forgot to, uhh…” I trailed off, lacking a proper excuse.  
I turned around and walked quickly to the kitchen, pouring two glasses of water just for something to do until I stopped blushing.  
I came back and sat across from Nico, handing him the glass once he put Cora down.  
“So,” I started. He looked up at me. “No school? What’s that like?”  
“Honestly?” he sighed. “Could be better. But maybe that’s just me.”  
I leaned forward, frowning. “What do you mean?”  
Nico looked thoroughly confused himself. “I don’t know. I don’t know why I said that, nothing that happened was my fault…I don’t think…” his eyes widened. “Sorry. You probably weren’t looking for an autobiography Wikipedia summary.”  
“Why, did you write one?”  
“An autobiography? Do I look like a privileged, middle-aged white man to you? Is that what you take me for, William?” He scoffed.  
I laughed, throwing my head back and forgetting there was a wall there. I hissed as my skull bounced off. “HECK.”  
Nico's eyes went wide as he choked on his water. “Just say _‘fuck’_ , Solace.”  
I gasped and clapped my hands over Cora’s ears. “Nico di Angelo, how _dare!!”_

ºO•oºO•oºO•oºO•oºO•oºO•oºO•oºO•oºO•oºO•oºO•oºO•oºO•oº

NICO  
This was nice. _He_ was nice. He was lovely.  
The way his eyes magnetized the sunlight and blazed with the aftermath. The gentle pitter pat of his hands tapping on his jeans, taking me to rainy days in the bay window, the air conditioning blowing far too cold, piled blankets and Pixar movies acting as a ward against it all. Sleepy smiles curving soft and golden like a retiring moon––  
I snapped back to reality where Will was rubbing a hand over the back of his head, wincing. My hand automatically drifted to my own head in sympathy, remembering how I’d hit my own head the night before **(A/N: dont know how to be funny? Just make them slam their head against every hard surface they come across! immediate results are guaranteed!!)**  
“Well,” I said, standing, Will following suit. “I should get going. Cora looks a bit restless.” I felt the blood rush back into my legs and stumbled, nearly falling back before Will grabbed my shoulders to steady me. My hands, to my horror, snapped up automatically to grasp his wrists.  
_Oh._  
Will’s eyes connected with mine, wide and glinting with quiet topaz flames.  
“I––”He jerked back. “Uhh––sorry. It’s just you were––”  
“Yeah, no, it’s fine––”  
“––falling, and so…yeah, sorry.”  
“Don’t worry about it.”  
“Um.” Will turned and tugged something off the key hooks. “Here’s her leash. I’ll uhh…I’ll see you later then.”  
“Yeah. Bye.” The door closed behind me and a gallon of air left my lungs as my shoulders slumped. I looked down at Cora to see her staring intently at me. I tipped my head back and took a deep breath. “Let’s go, Cora.”

WILL  
“Well, I don’t know how you expect us to help when we can’t even meet him,” Lou Ellen said, scowling. “I need to get a feel for the guy, you know?”  
“Lou, no, that’s _Will’s_ job, remember?” Cecil said, smirking.  
I choked on my pizza, blushing violently. Lou Ellen cackled.  
“ _Screw you guys,_ ” I coughed, thumping my chest.  
“Awww, Willy, you love us,” Lou grinned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i tried SO hard to make Will someone who doesnt really curse bc he's a sweet innocent fluff but you guys its so hard wtf


	4. raise your hand if you, too, are a touch starved emo bastard puddle *raises all four of my hands*

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> nico is a sad  
> will is doing his best  
> this chapter felt longer in google docs....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this entire thing makes me think of sparkles  
> dont ask me to elaborate on that bc i dont know what's going on either.  
> ao3 formatting is w e i r d

**CHAPTER FOUR**  
WILL  
Nico came back several times throughout the week, staying longer and longer each time he returned with Cora. That evening, he was sitting on the couch with the black puppy while I was squished between the couch and the coffee table––he was scrolling on his phone, I was bent over a painfully extensive assignment. I groaned and dropped my head on the coffee table. “Ow.”  
I felt Nico’s eyes land on me and heard his phone case tap on the table when he set it down.  
“You good?”  
I turned my head without lifting it and smiled. Nico’s head was haloed by sunlight careening through the window, making him look like some sort of dark angel from a YA novel. _He is of angels, isn’t he?._  
“Yeah.” _I am now._  
I think I forgot to look away, but Nico was already going back to his phone.  
“Wanna get something to eat?” he asked, moving Cora and sliding down onto the floor next to me  
“Sure,” I said, sitting up. “But I don’t really have money right now––”  
“I got it covered.” He held up his phone to show a delivery app logo spinning while it loaded.  
“What do you want? Pizza––”  
“Not pizza. Anything but pizza.”  
“Greek, Italian, Chinese, sushi…the possibilities are endless.”  
“Aren’t you Italian?” I asked.  
Nico looked back at his phone, his expression visibly clouding over. “On my mom’s side. Greek on my dad’s.”  
“No kidding! My dad’s Greek too! But, uhh, I’ve only met him once.”  
“Oh. I’m sorry, Will. If it makes you feel any better, my dad ditched four months ago. I’d been looking at apartments for myself anyways but…I guess I thought I’d get more time with him, you know?”  
“Aw man, that sucks.” I held out my arms for a hug. “Here.”  
Nico hesitated for a second, then gave in and wrapped his arms around me with a heavy sigh. The minute his head hit my shoulder, he completely slumped into a puddle of touch-starved emo.  
We hugged for a long time, to a point where it didn’t really count as a hug. But Nico didn’t show any signs of letting go anytime soon and I certainly didn’t want to.  
So I didn’t.

/^/^/^/^/^/^/^/^/^/^/^/^/^/^/^/^/^/^/^/^/^/^/^/^/^/^/^/^/^/^/^/^\

NICO  
I’m not sure how I’m supposed to react to waking up in Will’s arms, even if it was just a hug. We were leaned against the couch, arms still tangled and my phone was buzzing, threatening to fall off the edge of the coffee table. I gasped as it tipped and jerked a hand out to catch it, waking Will up as I did so.  
“Huh? OH.” Will jumped to his feet, tripping over his backpack and stumbling.  
“Fuck,” I hissed, pressing the answer button.  
“NICO DI FUCKING ANGELO,” Jason yelled through the phone, prompting me to almost drop it. “WHERE ARE YOU YOU EMO BASTARD WE’VE BEEN TEXTING YOU FOR HOURS WE’RE AT THE CAFE.”  
“God, Jason, chill, I’m just at––” I stopped myself. “Jason what time is it? It’s Saturday, right?”  
“Yeah. It’s, like, five-something.”  
I locked eyes with Will. Shit. “Uhh. Yup. Okay, I’ll be over in a minute.” I hung up. My sister was gonna murder me. Jason was gonna murder me. Percy and Reyna–– _oh I’m dead. I’m so dead._  
“So, um. I gotta go. Hazel stays over on Fridays and weekends so she knows I never went home and I guess everyone’s freaking out,” I said, raising my phone feebly. “But thank you. Seriously.”  
I was turning to leave when I remembered one more thing. “Oh! And I want to adopt Cora. I was wondering if you’d help me get the house ready, if you’re not busy. It’s just…it’s a big house and––well, yeah.” I plucked at the hem of my shirt, my face going slightly red.  
Will just smiled. “Oh, that’s great! Cora will be so happy with you! Of course I’ll come and help. We can run a few errands too, and I can show you the brands I use for food and stuff.”  
“Sounds good. I’ll text you when I get home and we can work out the details.”  
Pulling out of the parking lot, I kept thinking back to my last words. I didn’t like the way they’d sounded. It was so formal and business-ey, nothing like the warm, casual conversations we’d lapsed into over the week. Which only served as a reminder that I didn’t have a reason to go see him every day anymore, besides the cafe.  
I frowned at the thought of our only interactions being countertop chit-chat, but I guess I could live with it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes, i am painfully aware of the chapters getting shorter and shorter but i promise its not gonna be a consistent thing (hopefully).  
> thank you for reading!💛


	5. dont give xylitol to your dogs guys its rude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> i have seen things i regret while researching for this chapter. im scarred. youre welcome.
> 
> nico has good friends
> 
> jason is the fandom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have no self control and y'all re gonna hate me for it :)

CHAPTER FIVE  
NICO  
I could not live with this. I’d talked to Will _once_ since I stopped visiting and it was about the adoption. The rest was just eye contact and small smiles over the counter at Templeton, and that was only when he was actually working.  
But I didn’t want to leave it there. I wanted to be close enough to hear the little clicks he made when he was thinking, I wanted to trace the patterns he tapped on his knees, I wanted to––  
“Neeks?”  
I looked up to see Annabeth tilting her head to look at me. The group was sitting at the table, minus Leo since he had a date with a girl (Callie or something). It had been three days since I stopped going to Will’s and I was horribly impatient for tomorrow––he would be coming over to help puppy-proof the house.  
“Huh?”  
“You okay there? You look a little down,” Annabeth said, nudging my arm with hers.  
“Do I?” I frowned. “I dunno,” I said, and went back to swirling my coffee with the wooden stir stick.  
“You wanna talk about––”  
“I wanna ask Will out,” I blurted. The table went silent. _Fuuuuuuuck._  
“Finally! Alright, back to Nico’s,” Jason said, obviously with something in mind.  
“What? Why? And what do you mean, 'finally'????” I asked, standing as the others forced me out of our booth.  
“We’re doing this the right way, di Angelo.”  
“Uhhh…”  
“Cooome on. Let’s go.” Percy grabbed my shoulders and pushed me out of the cafe, to his and Annabeth’s minivan, and into the middle of the backseat where I was joined by Reyna and Frank. The rest of them piled in with Percy at the wheel and we took off.

When we were all settled in the living room with the coffee table crowded by popcorn, chips, soda cans, and caramel M&Ms, Jason switched on the TV and set up airplay from his phone.  
I groaned. Projected onto the screen was a video compilation titled “Pride Protocol”.  
“What––”  
Jason stood proudly, gesturing towards the screen. “Nico, this is a collection of scenes from movies we have compiled for your very own benefit. You will notice they all have one common theme: dates.  
“This is every single scene we could find where someone gets asked out or goes on a date–– _now._ When I tell you we tried to keep it rainbow, _I mean we tried._ But Neeks, my sweet, innocent gremlin of darkness––"  
"What the fuck."  
"––society is ever so cruel, so there’s a lot of black and white bullshit in here. We did our best.”  
“Thanks.”  
“Only for you, bro. Anyways.” He slapped a notepad into my hand. “All you have to do is take notes on everything we say and you’ll be all set, got it?”  
“Good god.”

∆˚∆˚∆˚∆˚∆˚∆˚∆˚∆˚∆˚∆˚∆˚∆˚∆˚∆˚∆˚∆˚∆˚∆˚∆˚∆˚∆˚∆˚∆˚∆˚∆

WILL  
I was weirdly excited to see Nico’s house. Like, it’s just a house, I don’t understand why I was freaking out so much.  
I didn’t have a car so Nico picked me up and we stopped by some pet stores on the way home. It was as we did so that I realized he didn’t even need me here. I could’ve just written a list and left him to do it by himself, so why did he ask me to help?  
He was probably just nervous. But still. I couldn’t get the thought out of my head as we lugged supplies to the car and it persisted further even as we pulled into the driveway of Nico’s house. The only thing that banished the question was the size of the property.  
“Holy cow.” My eyes widened.  
“Godammit, Will, just say shit for fuck’s sake,” Nico snapped.  
I just grinned. “Never.”  
Nico scoffed but there was a hint of laughter carried underneath. “Get out of the car, Solace.”

⫸○⫷⫸○⫷⫸○⫷⫸○⫷⫸○⫷⫸○⫷⫸○⫷⫸○⫷⫸○⫷⫸○⫷⫸○⫷⫸○⫷

We were just going through his pantry to get rid of anything with xylitol––you could never be too careful––when Nico sighed putting down the peanut butter and muttering something under his breath.  
“Did you say something?” I asked.  
“ _Non posso credere che lo sto facendo,_ ” he said, shaking his head. “I have a question.”  
“Is that Italian?”  
“Will you go out with me?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is so fucking short but i couldn't resist the cliffhanger and the words count was 696 i _had_ to 
> 
> also the Italian is "i cant believe im doing this" according to google translate. i could've asked my grandparents since they're italian and fluent but i didnt want to explain...... _this_


	6. touche or not touche? that is the question. (google says its touché)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico is short
> 
> Will is not
> 
> Cecil is that one guy who says they dont like drama until it happens and they're in the somehow in the middle like the cookie core in a pint of ben and jerry's. dont ask where that came from, im really hungry.

**CHAPTER SIX**  
NICO  
He wasn’t answering. Oh god, he wasn’t answering.  
I fucked up. I can’t believe this, why––  
“I’d love to.”  
My head snapped up. “Huh?”  
Will went red. “That’s…what you were asking, right?”  
I nodded vigorously. “Yeah. Yes! Yes?”  
“Yes.”  
“Oh thank _god._ ” I tried to take a deep breath, but it was hard when I was smiling so hard. “So…coffee? Templeton at 12? I can pick you up.”  
“Sure thing! I’ll see you then, I guess––oh, wait. Can I, uhhh…can I get a ride home? I don’t think I have money for a Lyft,” he winced.  
“Of course.”

«««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««

“I need your help,” I said.  
Piper was standing on my doorstep, having received a panicked call from me twenty minutes prior.  
“Will said yes and I don’t know what to wear.”  
Understanding and excitement were clear on her face as the curtains of confusion drew back. She grabbed my hand.  
“I knew this day would come,” she said, voice pitchy with delight. Once up in my room, she pulled open the closet doors, sighing when she saw the contents. “Well. I don’t know what I expected. It’s ok. We can make this work. At least no matter what, it’ll be color-coordinated,” she said, holding up a handful of hangers, all carrying black band t-shirts.  
I raised a finger. “Ah. See, that’s where you’re wrong. Some of the blacks are more faded than the others, so––okay, take this Green Day shirt. It’s lighter, right? And then see these jeans? I got them last week, brand new and still black as my soul. They don’t match.”  
“I see,” Piper said, nodding. “You might actually know what you’re doing, di Angelo.”  
“ _Might?_ ”  
“Hey, _you_ called _me._ ”  
“Touché.”

WILL  
I never knew gay panic until today.  
I was lying on the floor, dressed and ready to go the minute Nico showed up except for the fact that I couldn’t really…move. Ophelia loped towards me, licking my face. _That_ got me up.  
“Ophie, no! I actually need my face today!” I rushed to the sink to wash my face when I saw Nico’s car parked from my window.  
“Crap!” I dried my face and barreled towards the door, yanking it open. The thought hadn’t even occurred to me that Nico might not have reached it yet. I poked my head out and saw him walking down the hall, then panicked and slammed the door. I didn’t open it again until I heard his hesitant knock.  
I opened it and saw him standing there, looking slightly confused. His time-worn leather jacket hung loose around his shoulders over an All Time Low band t-shirt **(A/N: I was actually listening to Weightless while I wrote this)** and a red flannel was tied around the waistband of black skinny jeans. He wore combat boots, too, but he was still shorter than me by a mile.  
“What was that about?” he asked, cocking his head to the side.  
“I saw your car and got excited…” I said, feeling my face go dahlia pink. **(A/N: i just really like flowers ok)**  
“Awww,” Nico laughed. “You’re like a little puppy. Ready to go?”  
“Yep!” We walked to the car and he pulled up Panic! At the Disco. “Would ya look at that. Di Angelo listens to decent music after all.”  
“ _I beg your fucking pardon, Sunshine._ ”  
I had a lot of things to say about this.

;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;

The bell rang cheerfully as we entered the cafe. I instantly recognized Cecil at the counter and internally groaned, I loved my friends, more than anything. But Cecil could be…overeager. At times. Usually the wrong times.  
We made eye contact and I shook my head, glaring. He made a face like “I got it, chill” and went back to tapping nonchalantly at the screen in front of him.  
Nico already knew what he wanted since he was there fairly often, so ordering took relatively no time. Though Cecil used every second of it to pointedly avoid looking at me.  
Once we were seated, I got a text from him on the group chat:  
_**HE’S FUCKING HOT**_  
I ignored it, wincing when it pinged again and sliding it to silent.  
I looked up at Nico. “Hi,” I said, grinning like a complete idiot, I’m sure.  
He smiled back, his eyes lighting up like a night sky trading off with dawn. “Hi.”  
Conversation was generally an easy affair. We mostly took turns rambling about things we loved, school, and not-school, childhood stories and experiences.  
“What about siblings, you got any?” I asked. Bad idea.  
“Yeah, I––well, kind of. Not––” Nico sighed, and I swear I’ve never heard anything so sad in my life. His expression was heartbreaking to say the least.  
“You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”  
“No, it’s fine, it’s…I had a sister, Bianca. She died when I was ten. Homicide. But I have my half-sister, Hazel. She’s incredible.”  
“Oh. Well. Again, if it helps, my brother Michael died in the military.”  
Nico let his head lean against his own hand as he gazed at me. “Seems like we’re doing pretty okay, all things considered.”  
“Yeah, I’d say we are.”

***********************************************************

NICO  
_I don’t think I’ll meet someone this amazing ever again._  
It was a thought that buzzed at the front of my brain, demanding my attention as I listened to Will chatter about diabetes between sips of his white chocolate hazelnut mocha (with extra sugar). The irony.  
We kept up the conversation and casual banter all throughout the afternoon, leading to the point where we stood on either side of a doorway, neither one of us wanting to say the first goodbye.  
“I had a really great time,” I said, finally. “And I was wondering if maybe there could be potential future times?”  
“Better.” Will leaned forward across the doorway. “They’re guaranteed.”  
I swear I would’ve collapsed if my mouth hadn’t had other plans. “Can I kiss you?”  
Will blinked, mouth parted slightly. “I’m surprised you asked before I did,” he said. I thought I was prepared.  
I was not prepared.

Kissing Will Solace felt like trying to kiss a sunbeam. Warm, soft, gentle, but you had to chase it first, you had to lock onto it and keep it in sight. It was slightly difficult with the height difference and I had to stand on my toes, but we made it work.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

WILL  
Kissing Nico was nothing like I’d imagined. (Not that I’ve––you know what, yes I have.)  
He was relentless. He’d pin you down, catch you in place, and wouldn’t let you go until he wanted to. It was like when you made eye contact with a stranger and suddenly it's all a battle to see who backs down first. Well, Nico doesn’t back down.  
We finally pulled back, breathless and giddy and blushing like crazy.  
“ _Cool,_ ” I said. Like an idiot. Nico just laughed, grabbing my hand and kissing our entwined fingers, light as dawn. This is definitely something I could get used to.  
“See you later?”  
“See you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i did it!! I got to the kiss without abandoning it! i honestly felt super weird writing it, especially with first person which was a mistake on my part.
> 
> also, should i write one more chapter to close it off or just end it here? i honestly dont know ;-;


	7. A/N

Just gonna bypass all preamble here, I don't think I'll be doing an epilogue since it feels like I've gotten as much as I can out of this story and I know this is disappointing to like. no one, but I thought I'd let you know. Thanks for bearing with me and I appreciate you guys taking the time to read and leave comments or kudos, I know this really wasn't a great fic but it's a start and i'm hoping to improve!💛💛💛

also uhh...not really sure how to get rid of the note underneath, just ignore it lmao

**Author's Note:**

> as im sure you've realized, i have no idea what im doing. but i do appreciate you taking the time to read this, so thank you!! i uh. i've never done this before but if people like it then i'll try to update regularly :)


End file.
